Plymouth’s huge new out-of-town Mothercare store is due to open in October – but the Drake Circus mall outlet may still be trading too.

The troubled pram and pushchair company, which has seen sales plummet, is shutting stores around the country but has confirmed it still has plans to open in a 15,000sq ft unit at the multi-million pound Plymouth Gateway Retail Park, under construction at Marsh Mills.

“We are working towards an October 2018 opening,” a Mothercare spokeperson said.

The retail chain has already said it will move out of its 6,877sq ft unit on the ground floor of Drake Circus Shopping Centre.

The Mothercare store in Drakes Circus

But the company said it can’t confirm when that store will close.

It has put the lease on the mall unit on the market and is inviting offers.

But with the lease expiring at the end of September 2021 it means Plymouth may have two Mothercare stores come October 2018.

The spokesperson said: “Unfortunately we do not have a closure date (for the mall unit). We have no confirmed plans at the moment.”

Mothercare was also tight-lipped about the future of the Early Learning Centre in Cornwall Street.

The company owns that brand too and has put the lease for the 2,542sq ft store on the market.

The lease expires in December 2020.

The spokesperson said: “There are currently no confirmed plans.”

Mothercare has just published a disappointing first update under its new boss and confirmed it is in “constructive dialogue” with its lenders.

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Retail woes: the stores affected by the shopping crisis

The UK's retail sector is quaking as inflation and taxes mount and consumer spending slips. Plymouth is not immune. These are the firms that have caught a cold, or are beyond life support, so far in 2018:

Toys R Us - The advertising jingle sang of toys in their millions, all under one roof, but the huge outlet in Western Approach is now empty as the toy store chain became the first big casualty of the UK's retail meltdown. All Toys R Us stores nationwide are now closed or closing.

Bargain Booze - The off-licence chain Bargain Booze went into administration in April 2018 following a warning that earnings would be £5.2million less than expected. The chain, which has five outlets in Plymouth and another in Saltash, warned earnings for this financial year would be “below current market expectations”. But administrators were able offload the retail division to food wholesaler Bestway in a £7million deal.

Debenhams - Beleaguered Debenhams could shut floors in its Plymouth department store as it looks at solutions to the retail meltdown which has seen its pre-tax profits slump by 84 per cent and insurers cut back on suppliers' credit cover. The chain is understood to be looking to downsize at least 30 stores blaming “profound change” in shopping habits for woes.

House of Fraser - Troubled department store chain House of Fraser has announced it will shut 31 stores - including the flagship Plymouth branch in the city centre. When a Company Voluntary Agreement was accepted by creditors on June 22, 2018, it will meant 6,000 staff are set to lose their jobs due to the store closures which will leave just 18 outlets still trading. The company made a £43.9million loss in 2017 – blaming Brexit, terrorist attacks and increased online competition. Figures released as part of a takeover by the Chinese owner of Hamleys, showed the retailer's sales fell from £840.9million to £787.8million in 2017 – a drop of 6.3 per cent.

New Look - The budget retailer has had to weighs up “options” amid dismal sales figures and in April 2018 announced it could close 100 stores putting 1,500 jobs at ris. Private equity-owned Poundworld, which has a huge Plymouth store in New George Street, said it is considering its future as speculation mounts that it will opt to restructure the business.

Marks & Spencer - Retail bellwether Marks & Spencer, which has a huge store in Plymouth city centre, is closing 100 of its biggest stores, about a third of all those selling clothes and homeware, by 2022 after it reported a 62.1 per cent fall in pre-tax profit to £66.8million in the year to March 31, 2018.

Mothercare - The baby and maternity products chain issued a profits warning after like-for-like sales fell by 7.2 per cent during the 12 weeks to December 30, 2017. Mothercare has now decided to move out of Drake Circus mall, but will relocate to a unit more than double the size at the under-construction Plymouth Gateway Retail Park at Marsh Mills. The retailer is looking to shut anything up to more than 50 stores and its March 2018 trading update revealed total UK sales were down 5.6 per cent in the 12 weeks to March 24, compared with the same period in 2017.

Carpetright - Carpet and furniture giant Carpetright issued its second profit warning of 2018 and is entering talks with lenders. The firm, which has two huge Plymouth outlets, has warned it is set to disclose a full-year loss. In March 2018 it shut three Devon stores, but kept the two in Plymouth open.

Maplin - Electrical goods retailer Maplin collapsed into administration in February 2018 putting jobs at risk. The company, which employed 2,500 people in the UK and had a large store in Plymouth’s Cornwall Street, said the capital needed to prop up the business – and shield it against tough trading conditions – had proved “impossible to raise”. The store had a huge closing down sale in April 2018 and finally shut in Plymouth in on June 11. All stores in the group are expected to be shut by July.

Poundworld - The budget retailer went into administration in June 2018 after revealing dismal sales figures, putting 5,100 jobs at risk. Private equity-owned Poundworld shut its huge Plymouth store in New George Street in July 2018 after staging a "closing down sale".

Laura Ashley - Womenswear and home furnishings retailer Laura Ashley postied its third profit warning in just a year. The business, which has a large outlet in Plymouth’s Armada Centre shopping mall, has been hit by adverse currency movements and a slump in demand for furniture and wallpaper throughout the UK.

H&M - Fashion giant H&M has said it is braced for further sales falls across its stores in 2018, including its Plymouth outlet in Drake Circus Shopping Centre.

Poundstretcher - Credit insurers aretightening terms for suppliers to Poundstretcher, a move which is generally seen as an indicator of concerns a retailer is about to go bust. Poundstretcher, which has a huge outlet at Plymouth’s Friary Retail Park, in Exeter Street, saw a £3.4million profit turn into a £3.5million loss in 2017.

Moss Bros - In March 2018 Moss Bros saw share values plunge 23 per cent after announcing profits for the 2017/18 financial year would be “materially lower” than expected. The clothing chain, which has a large outlet on New George Street, blamed stock shortages, tepid demand for suit hire and lower consumer confidence. But by May 2018 the chain was reporting improved trading though warned of a "fragile consumer environment".

Game Digital - Profits at Game, which has two stores in Plymouth city centre, nosedived by more than a quarter – amid a tough market for consoles – leaving the retailer looking to revive its fortunes through the fast-rising e-sports sector.

Homebase - There are fears Homebase stores throughout the South West could be dragged into a second wave of closures that could see up to 40 of the DIY outlets shut – putting hundreds of jobs at risk.

The DIY chain, which has 21 outles in the West Country including Plymouth, is sounding out advisers for a potential Company Voluntary Agreement (CVA), having already closed 17 outlets.

Topshop, Topman, Dorothy Perkins, Burton, Evans and Wallis - In May 2018 Sir Philip Green's Arcadia Group reported profits dipped by 42 per cent from £215.2million to £124.1million and sales fell 5.6 per cent in the year to August 26, 2017, sliding from £2.01billion to £1.91billion.

Sports Direct - Bargain tracksuit and trainer retailer Sports Direct blamed an £85million hit from its stake in Debenhams for dragging full-year profits down 72.5 per cent. The chain, which has a huge outlet in New George Street, Plymouth, said pre-tax profits plunged to £77.5million in the year to April 29, 2018 – from £281.6million a year earlier.

McColl's - Convenience store operator McColl’s has seen pre-tax profits nearly halve to £2.3 million in just six months during one of the “most challenging” period in the chain’s history. The firm, which has more than 10 outlets in the Plymouth area, saw its surplus drop from £4.5 million during the same period last year. The company blamed the decline, for the 26 weeks to May 27, 2018, in part on the collapse of wholesaler Palmer & Harvey, which disrupted its supply chain. It also impacted McColl’s like-for-like sales which fell 2.7 per cent in the first half of the year.

Mr Wood said the retail environment was “muted” and there was “a continuing trend of lower footfall in stores”.

In the past three months the company closed one Early Learning Centre and five Mothercare stores, leaving 137 branches.

This is expected to fall to 100 and maybe even lower.

The Mothercare spokesperson told Herald Business: “As part of the transformation strategy laid out in 2014, we are restructuring our UK store estate to meet our customers' needs and continue adapting to evolving shopping habits around the world.

“Our stated strategy is to work towards our target of operating 80 to 100 stores and our store closure programme continues as we grow our digital capability, with 42 per cent of our trade now taken online.”

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Then there will be a six- to eight-week fit out so the buildings will be ready in time for the crucial Christmas trading period.

The development will mean that by the end of 2018 there will be THREE Costa outlets operating within a few hundred yards of each other.

There is already a Costa at the neighbouring Marsh Mills Retail Park, and a third is due to open at the adjacent Next development, also by autumn 2018.

Ediston Real Estate, the company which bought the former hotel site, next to the A38, for £6.1million in February 2016, secured planning consent for 54,766sq ft of retail accommodation in five huge, three-storey units.

In addition to this, there is scope to accommodate up to 38,815sq ft of mezzanine floor space.